Good Riddance!

Whew...

January is over...  (almost... )

Thankfully!!!

This was a tough month.  Hubs was sick for 2 weeks with Influenza B, we had some crazy roller coaster weather, and of course, let's add in some sick pets and family drama to top it all off!  I didn't even have a My Favorite Friday last week because the only "favorite" part of the week was that it was OVER! :)  (seriously... I had 11 - yes ELEVEN - meetings last week plus teaching!  OMG!)

Then, to make matters worse, last week, I just felt so inadequate.  My lessons were weak and I felt stagnant.  I tried so hard not to let my students be affected by my January doldrums, but I was apparently more successful than I thought because a student mentioned today that "Mrs. T, you are the most positive person I have ever known!"  (oh child... if you only knew... lol)

But I also know that attitude is a state of mind.  I can choose to be joyful or I can choose to let the piddly stuff get me down.  I have the power to make the choice to go into each day (or week or month) with a positive mindset.

So today, my choice is to rejoice in the positive.

To bid adieu to January, here are 5 good things that happened this month:

1. I met my Fitbos18 goal for January!  While we had some pretty chilly days, I still was able to meet (and exceed) my goal of 10 hours of exercise!
2. I blogged 9 times in January!  Considering that I only blogged ~30 times total in 2017, blogging 9 times in one month is HUGE! :)
3. I didn't sick! Even though hubs was ill for 2 weeks and schools are notoriously bad about germs, I've stayed healthy so far... knock on wood :) 
4. I got my "Puzzle Place" up and running!  Kids haven't flocked to it (yet), but my student aide and my Advisory kids have started looking for the weekly puzzle, so that's a win!
5. We did a brand new lab in Forensic Science that turned out REALLY well!  It was so much fun!!!

And 5 things I'm looking forward to in February:

1. On President's Day, our district has its final PD day of the year.  One of the science teachers and I are presenting on Formative Assessment Strategies. I'm really excited about this and need to start finalizing my thoughts soon!
2. This month, I want to let my students know how much I love being their teacher.  I saw the idea on Facebook about putting hearts on your child's bedroom door with reasons why you love them.  I decided to do this in my classroom with my students!  Tomorrow is day 1... :)
3. Getting my mojo back!  I'm already excited about tomorrow's lessons.... back to more interesting and creative teaching! :)
4. Warmer weather and longer days!  I know that February is still winter and storms can still happen, BUT each day in February brings us closer to spring and once it's spring, I can be outside on my patio with a good book :) :) :)
5. Finding out who my "Val Pal" is!  We did a secret pal exchange at my school this year and it's been so much fun giving (and getting) little gifts and treats.  It's definitely a "pick-me-up" that we need during this time of year!

Goodbye January... Hello February! :)